CPU heats up rapidly without any workload, persisting even after being repasted.
CPU heats up rapidly without any workload, persisting even after being repasted.
Your work computer started making a lot of noise recently (fan running at full speed). It has an Intel i5-4460 CPU and a prebuilt motherboard from Lenovo. Temperatures checked via hwmonitor on Windows and lm-sensors under Ubuntu are consistently around 89-90°C, while core temperatures stay between 25-40°C based on load. Performance remains solid for an older i5, though the fans are very loud—especially when powering on and after BIOS self-check. You mentioned something odd about CPU temperature readings possibly being off, especially since it shouldn't spike to 90°C in just a few seconds with no throttling. You've tried cleaning dust, repasting the CPU, using a Live USB to test, and haven't found any other issues. No other LGA1150 CPU is available for testing. Could there have been a recent microcode update affecting temperatures?
Are there numerous applications that launch automatically at startup? You might find everything activating simultaneously during boot. Review the Task Manager and turn off any unnecessary programs. Also, adjust settings in Windows Startup to manage background tasks. It could involve background processes—look into what’s running in the Task Manager.
Edited October 21, 2023 by WackySpace
What's the temperature of the CPU core? As long as it's normal and cooler ensures good connection, you might need to replace that CPU.
Your idea seems amusing because it highlights an unexpected twist or humor in your perspective.
The situation becomes even more puzzling considering Intel's statements. If its software determined the readings, explaining such significant variations in core temperatures seems unlikely. Typically, measurements align with the peak temperature and may lag slightly. My concern is similar to your point—perhaps a sensor malfunction causes it to spike temporarily, and the weighted data hides this brief anomaly. I’d test HWInfo64 on Windows to see if any specific sensor briefly exceeds its limits.
The issue appeared before any actions were taken on the PC. Repasting didn't resolve it. The CPU seemed completely normal when I opened it for repasting. Only a few programs like Dropbox were running. The CPU usage was almost zero (though it occasionally rose to about 8% but then decreased). I also tried using a fresh Ubuntu live CD, which had minimal background processes. Please note this happened immediately after the OS loaded, right after the BIOS check. Core temperatures were very low—around 25-30°C with no significant load—and only around 40-50°C during full load. There was no thermal throttling observed.
can you control the fans somehow? have you tried? because it seems only the noise is your issue, so lower the fan speeds might do the trick, even though that runs the risk of an emergency shut down, if the system "falsely" thinks its running too hot... other than that, idk, probably delid, LN2... going by previous suggestions
You're considering more than just swapping the CPU due to cost concerns. The situation seems unrelated to thermal contact issues since the CPU isn't throttling. Delidding likely won't help much. I'd look into the BIOS fan settings (Lenovo might not have them) and adjust them for gentler operation. If needed, use FanControl software to manage fans dynamically based on core temperatures. Of course, you're allowed to install updates or third-party tools.